This is a guest post from Cait Flanders.
“In the context of sufficiency, appreciation becomes a powerful, intentional practice of creating new value through our deliberate attention to the value of what we already have.” –Lynne Twist
I’ve spent the last four years writing about money and the role it has played in my life. I’ve written about how I got into debt, the day I realized I was maxed out, and how I dug myself out of the mess. It took two years of living on a tight budget, but I made my final debt repayment in May 2013 and I haven’t owed anyone a penny since.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean I had my spending under control. For the first year that followed, I spent money buying and doing all the things I couldn’t buy or do while paying down debt. I’d put myself on such a tight budget for those two years that I was convinced I’d been “living without” something during that time—so I spent a year searching for it.
I wasn’t living an extravagant lifestyle, per se. I was simply consuming more than I needed. There were stacks of books on my shelves I’d never read, outfits in my closet I’d only worn once, bottles of unused nail polish, and what looked to be a 5-year supply of pens and paper.
Shortly after my first anniversary of being debt-free, I looked at the small balance in my savings account and wondered what I’d been doing wrong. I was budgeting and blogging about money, why didn’t I have more to show for it? When I looked around my apartment, I realized it was a result of lifestyle inflation… and I wasn’t happy with the state of mine.
The stacks of books on my shelves were a constant reminder I had no time to read. The long forgotten clothes in my closet made me feel guilty for not getting a good enough cost-per-wear out of them. I even hated most of the nail polish colors, but felt like they were what grown-up Cait should wear.
I’d wasted hundreds, even thousands of dollars on stuff… and I didn’t even like most of it.
In a wave of inspiration, I started opening every closet, cupboard, and drawer in my apartment on a mission to get rid of anything I didn’t use or truly cherish. I filled bag after bag, and box after box, until almost every inch of my dining room floor was covered. After dragging it all downstairs, I filled my car with stuff, and still had to make two additional trips to the donation centre.
In the end, I removed 60% of the belongings from my home. And then, I put myself on a yearlong shopping ban so I wouldn’t bring in anything new.
I am only eight months into the shopping ban, but I can already tell you I will never go back to the type of consumer I was before—and that’s before considering all the extra money I’ve been able to save, which is just an added bonus.
I will never go back to being the type of consumer I was before, because living with fewer possessions has finally allowed me to see how full and rich my life already was—and still is today.
I wake up each morning and fill my French press with delicious coffee in the quiet moments before a new day begins. I have a job that lets me work from home at a desk with the most incredible view of the mountains. I get paid to write, which I still pinch myself over. I live minutes from the ocean with the smell of salt in the air. And I have the most loving and supportive family and friends a person could ask for, and most everyone is in good health.
How could I have ever thought I was “living without” anything?
I am still new to this minimalist scene and my shopping ban, so I am continually discovering new and wonderful things about how it’s changing my life. However, as someone who’s been writing about money for four years, there’s one thing I can tell you with certainty.
When you focus on what’s lacking in your life, you’ll do or buy anything to fill that void.
This might include:
- Buying yourself something after you’ve had a bad day.
- Upgrading to the newest piece of technology just because it’s popular.
- Buying a new car or home because you think it proves you’ve reached a certain level of success.
- Filling your home with beautiful things to impress your guests even though you can’t afford any of it.
But when you choose to appreciate what is good in your life, you will use money in ways that help sustain it.
You begin:
- Feeling better about paying your rent/mortgage, knowing it’s putting a roof over your head.
- Being more grateful for the heat/hot water/electricity you used, when the bill comes.
- Doing whatever it takes to make sure you can afford your hobbies and passions.
- Saving for your hopes and dreams, both big and small.
Everything in the first list are assets that will immediately depreciate—and not just in dollar value, but also in the value you’ve placed on them. The newest piece of technology gets old the minute something newer comes out. As soon as that happens, you’re back to feeling like you’re “living without” something, versus appreciating it for what it is—a tool that helps you communicate with family and friends.
Everything on the second list, however, will appreciate in value—maybe not in dollar value, but in your continued appreciation for it. When you appreciate that you live in a comfortable home with hot showers, you start to soak up every minute under the water. And when you find the true joy that comes from pursuing hobbies and passions, you’ll wish you’d never wasted a dollar on the “stuff” you thought could bring you that same feeling.
When you spend money on things you appreciate, it will always pay dividends in the form of gratitude.
As a former debt blogger, I wish I’d learned that lesson sooner. However, as part of my journey to become minimalist, I’ve come to realize how valuable my experiences really were. I wouldn’t appreciate my life today, in the same light, if I hadn’t made mistakes and learned from them.
If writing about it helps inspire even one person to shift their focus and find new ways to appreciate what they already have, then the experiences will continue to pay dividends—and for that, I am grateful.
***
Cait is a full-time writer and editor in Vancouver, BC, Canada. She writes about simplifying finances and living a more intentional life on her blog.
Sarah M says
This was so powerful…I see a lot of similarities in my own life. Definitely something I’m going to chew on a bit more. Thanks for the inspiration.
Sarah M (and hey! I’m in Surrey, definitely grateful for living in one of the most beautiful places in N. America!)
Cait Flanders says
Ahhh, hello neighbour! Beautiful (errr… not) weather we are having today, hehe. Highs of 19C next week! We are so lucky to live here. :)
Sadie says
I’m doing a shopping ban, too, for Lent. I have never considered myself a person who liked shopping, and yet I did not realize how much I relied on shopping to “pick me up” or make me feel as if I’d done something productive. I thought everything I bought was useful and necessary– but then, how had I been getting along without it before?
I thought doing the purchase pause would be an exercise in doing without– it was meant to help me remember those who are struggling in poverty and can’t buy the things they need– but instead, it made me realize how very far from poverty I am– I can go weeks and weeks without buying anything and never lack. It’s a sobering thought. Most people would consider my lifestyle very low-brow, although stable (my family of three shares one 15-year-old car; we live in a two-bedroom apartment without washer & dryer hookups; we buy many of our clothes secondhand), but through this exercise, I have begun to realize how focused I had become on what we didn’t have, and stopped noticing how incredibly wealthy we actually are. How freeing it is to realize you have already arrived at plenty!
Cait Flanders says
What a beautiful and thought-provoking comment, Sadie. Thank you so much for sharing your story! And yes, that has been one of the most sobering thoughts of all for me, too – that I can go weeks and weeks without buying anything (other than food and gas) and it doesn’t affect my life at all. My yearlong experiment has also helped me identify when something is truly a need vs. a want, and I’m now happy to buy those needs, as I can see how they will physically help me in my life. I suppose that also ties back into this post. How freeing it is, indeed. :)
Tony W says
Great! We live and learn and I love your natural progression. I too have followed a similar progression, I often look back and ask myself what took so long? I also ask what was I thinking? The future looks bright ;-)
Cait Flanders says
That it does, Tony. :)
Christina @ Embracing Simple says
Fantastic post, Cait! I too was consuming more than I needed at one point a few years ago, and didn’t think twice about it at the time because I didn’t feel as though I was living extravagantly either.
Once you realize you don’t need as many “things” in your life, it really does open up your mind to how much you value experiences. I found that to be very true for me. Thanks for sharing your story!
Cait Flanders says
Thank you, Christina! Nice to see you over here :)
BrownVagabonder says
This reminds me a lot of the ‘Law of Attraction’ – what you focus on, expands. Most of us spend all of our days focusing on things we don’t like. Instead, if we spent that time in gratitude and focusing on the hundreds of blessings that we have, we would have more of those blessings in our life. Reading posts like this could be one of those blessings. Thanks for sharing your story!
Cait Flanders says
Your comment actually reminds me of a quote from my friend David’s book, You Are Here. “Virtually every day of our lives, we’re trained to lean towards something we don’t have, which essentially trains us to be dissatisfied with where we already are.” That one really stuck with me… it’s so powerful. David’s blog is: http://www.raptitude.com/
Thank you for your kind and welcoming comment!
April @ Oxford Mins says
BrownVagabonder, that is so right. We spend our days moaning about our job, grumbling about our house, and complaining about our significant others, when instead we should be thankful that we have the means to live, a roof over our heads, and people to share our lives with.
Judy says
Hi Cait. I absolutely loved your post! I can’t wait to check out your blog :)
Cait Flanders says
Thank you, Judy! Please say hi while you’re there :)
Basurart says
thanks for sharing this post. i am a newbie in this ”minimalism” and i’m planning to use your guidance moving forward. much respect!
Cait Flanders says
I’m so glad you were able to take something away from this post, Basurart. Good luck in your journey!
Maryalene says
Great article!
I wonder if a post debt binge is typical of most people. I went through the same thing after I became debt free (other than the mortgage). I squandered so much money over the course of the following year on pointless stuff. After holding the purse strings so tight for so long I apparently felt a sense of entitlement to buy whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Makes me cringe to think about what else I could have done with all that cash.
Cait Flanders says
I’d say it’s probably common for those of us who made our budgets perhaps a little *too* tight during our debt repayment journey. There were months where I was putting 50-60% of my income at debt, and having absolutely zero fun; that’s just not a sustainable way of living. If I could go back to that time, I’d probably tell myself to take an extra few months and give myself a little more “fun money”. But, we live and we learn, right? Thanks for your comment, Maryalene. :)
Sarah Elizabeth says
This is a wonderful, inspiring post, and as often happens with life, it is very timely. I have to think you’re right, Cait. I have gone through my small (temporary) apartment with a fine tooth comb to clear out stuff. But half the stuff cannot go at the moment (the apartment is just so small that it looks like there’s too much, but unfortunately with my work and current school, I need a lot of it) and the other half to be cleared out still sits in a bag in the living room. Not until I can actually get it together and clear out all that stuff do I think I will feel better, so thanks for kicking me out the door!
Cait Flanders says
Oh, I know that feeling all too well, Sarah – of having bags of stuff that need to be tossed just sitting around. Get it down to your car ASAP, and take it wherever it needs to go! It’ll remove some mental clutter, too, which will be an added bonus, especially when you’re already so busy. :)
Joakim Bergquist says
Thank you for a powerfull lecture on minimalism, a real eye-opener.
I myself have been having simular thoughts, and I do believe that we all have to apply a more “life sustainable” way of living, in order for mankind to survive. I will try to implement your ideas of living, and pass on your message.
Thanks!
Kind regards
Joakim
Joanna says
wow!!! What an absolutely powerful way to wake up this morning. I too feel the connection between getting out of debt, and changing the habits of my life, have lead me to minimalism. What a beautiful way to create meaning and depth to ones existance. As someone in the heart of beauty and sales working in a busy mall I have a front row seat on consumerism and debt. Infact selling credit is part of my job! And it pains my heart. Thank you for the wisdom you have shared and I am so grateful for posts such as these. I am beginning my own YouTube channel devoted to minimalist living and it excites and inspires me more than my current beauty channel. Thank you for sharing your journey with others.
Cait Flanders says
Thank YOU for being so open and honest in your reply, Joanna. Good luck with your new YouTube channel. Make sure you share the link with me, when it goes live. :)
Cait Flanders says
Thank you for your kind response, Joakim. :)